Bullets and Drowning 2: Vendetta
by Tango Eight
Summary: Gibbs is captured before he can kill Saleem during the episode Truth or Consequences. Sequel to Bullets and Drowning.
1. Captured!

Chapter One

"Stop, STOP!" Tony yelled as Saleem pointed his gun at McGee's head. "There's something I haven't told you yet."

"And what is that?" Saleem asked with a small chuckle while he was lying on the ground after McGee had kicked his legs out from under him. On his way down, however, he pulled the gun he kept from the holster at his hip and pointed it at the agent he had just assumed to be unconscious.

"There is something I haven't told you yet." Tony said desperately, trying to get the focus back on him to keep his teammates safe.

"Well, I told you about the, the brains," he said as he scooted a few centimeters towards Ziva who was now staring back at him in confusion to what his plan was. "I told you about the guts," _That was a close one, _Tony thought as Saleem slowly made his way back to a standing position and after taking a few steps backwards stopped pointing the gun at McGee. "I told you about the muscle, the scientist, the politician, the leader, I told you about every member of team, except myself, the part I play." The distraction seemed to be working, Tony thought to himself.

"Which is?"

Tony looked up at Saleem and smiled. "I'm the wild card. I'm the guy who looks at the reality in front of him and refuses to accept it. Like right now, I should be terrified, right? But I'm not, 'cause I just can't stop thinking about the movie True Lies, you know where Arnie's strapped to the chair and shot full of truth serum, and picks his cuffs and kills everybody?" He paused for a second and stared at Saleem with amusement. "You have thirty seconds to live Saleem."

Saleem looked at him and chuckled nervously. "But you're still bound." Then with more confidence said, "You're lying."

"I can't lie," Tony pointed out, "And I didn't say I was the one who was going to kill ya. Remember when I told you my boss was a sniper?"

What happened next Tony definitely did not expect, Saleem started laughing just as the big wooden doors opened and two men came in dragging an unconscious Gibbs. They dropped him several feet away from where McGee was still lying.

"You mean him?" Saleem asked still laughing.

_Oh no, _Tony thought fear creeping into his veins.


	2. This!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS but I really wish that I did! Kind of happy I don't because this might have actually happened and I like the episode the way it aired. I just had to write this. C:

Chapter Two

Oh no, Tony thought as two men dragged an unconscious Gibbs into their prison. This was not how the plan was suppose to go. They were suppose to kill Saleem and then leave knowing they had killed the man who was responsible for Ziva David's death. Once they got there though, it was obvious the plan had changed. For one thing, Ziva was alive. This had come as the biggest shock of all, the second shock, was the sight of Gibbs. Tony immediately realized they were in big trouble. It also didn't help that he didn't know if Gibbs was badly injured or not.

"It seems your plans have failed." Saleem said smirking in Tony's direction. "Now it is my turn for some fun, you will regret the day you learned my name Agent DiNozzo." Saleem practically spit out his name so Tony knew Saleem was now after him personally. This gave him some comfort, maybe if Saleem picked on him it would only be him and his team would be spared.

Gibbs woke up in time to hear this last comment. "If you even think about hurting him, or any of them, you will have to answer to me." The venom in his voice was very clear but Saleem seemed to not notice.

"Agent Gibbs, you are in no position to be making threats, in fact that could be the very end of one of your precious agents." The nonchalance in his voice was very unsettling, this man was obviously very willing to carry out his threats it seemed. Gibbs, however, was visibly seething. He did nothing though; he was going to keep his team safe.

This was the same thing Tony was doing; he too was vowing to keep his teammates and boss safe, even if it meant egging on Saleem to get all of his anger out on him. The very calm and collected man who had been questioning him was gone, and the man before him now only resembled him in appearance, his attitude was now bitter in the most subtle way which meant he was much more unstable and prone to doing things maliciously. If it hadn't been for their years as trained investigators none of the team would have noticed these things but to their advantage, they could read most people like a book.

"Now, I don't really like this seating arrangement so let us fix it." Saleem said as he looked from each NCIS agent individually as if he were really thinking hard about something. "Agent DiNozzo can stay where he is, I'm not done with him yet. Now, lets get Ms. David tied up and put Agent Gibbs in the chair. Also, tie Agent McGee up better." He said to the two men who had brought Gibbs in. As one man got Ziva out of the chair and tied her arms behind her back sitting her next to McGee, the other man was forcing Gibbs into the chair and tying his hands the same way Tony's' were. The man who was tying up Ziva went to McGee next and tied his hands behind his back too.

"That is much better, don't you think?" He asked the two men not really wanting an answer. The men nodded quickly and exited the room.

"It's not every day I get the company of an entire federal agency team and I plan on making the most out of this opportunity. Also, if any of you want to make it out alive you will do exactly as I tell you and you will speak, and only speak, if I have asked you a question."

"What will happen if we don't follow your little rules?" Tony asked. He knew this was going to bring him some pain but it was bold move he was willing to take.

"This." Saleem said as he raised his gun so it was pointing at the loquacious agent and pulled the trigger.

To Be Continued.

Sorry it took me so long to update, I have very little time to actually write and I couldn't think of how I was going to continue with this story until today. The next chapter probably won't be up for a while though, probably another week because I have exams this week so I will have zero time to write. Sorry for leaving you with a cliff hanger when I know it will be awhile but it had to be done. Please review, though, if I get a lot of reviews from people wanting more I may update sooner. Please, please, please review.


	3. Oh, Brother!

Sorry for the wait, but I did warn you. Thanks for the reviews; I am happy you all like this story! Exams are finally over, and school is out. Now I should have more time to write. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed, or just simply read this story so far.

Warning: Spoilers for the episode Requiem and reference to my previous story Bullets and Drowning.

Chapter Three

He certainly hadn't seen _that _coming. Agent DiNozzo thought as pain radiated up his arm. The bullet had not been intended to kill him only warn them all that Saleem was not playing games, he would hurt and kill them if they didn't do what he said. The wound wasn't bad but it was painful, it went straight through his bicep and hit the wall behind him.

Saleem turned his back to the agent who was slowing trying to breath through the pain of a bullet to the arm so he was facing Gibbs. Gibbs was glaring at him with so much fury but was keeping his mouth shut.

"That was only a warning, the next time somebody talks it will be much worse." With that he nodded to the two men at the door and they all walked out of the room, closing the big door behind them.

Gibbs waited a second after hearing the door close before asking, "Tony," he waited a second for the agent to look at him which he finally did with pain filled eyes. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, boss." Tony said with his usual bravado. The truth serum still flowing through his veins was making it very hard not to tell Gibbs just how not fine he actually was. "I've had worse." He added quietly.

Gibbs was well aware of this, it had only been a year and a half ago when DiNozzo had saved him and a girl named Maddie from drowning in a car at the bottom of the river. The heroic rescue had however resulted in Tony getting shot and almost dying. Now thinking back on that horrible time, Gibbs remembered the promise he had secretly made to the agent, that he would watch his six and keep him safer then he had been. So far, this hadn't out very well.

McGee and Ziva had been completely silent so far and Gibbs had almost forgot they were still there. When he looked behind him he saw them both sitting on the ground, McGee was very pale after witnessing what Saleem had done. At first he hadn't known where Saleem shot Tony so he didn't even know if he was going to be alive much longer.

Ziva too was very pale; she couldn't believe that Saleem had shot Tony, even if it wasn't that bad of a wound. Gibbs also noticed that she was very thin and had bags under her eyes. He knew then that it was very important for them to get out soon. If anything, Tony would probably get a severe infection from the wound if it were not treated properly for a while.

Within only a few minutes of Saleem left them alone and Gibbs quickly taking stock of the condition his team was in, Saleem returned the room with a look of pure hatred in his eyes. He made his way over to Gibbs and punched him in the face with enough force to knock him and the chair completely over with a crash.

"Hey, what was that for?" Tony yelled after seeing Saleem hit his boss so hard. He forgot about the threat made if they talked.

Saleem didn't even notice that Tony had talked, he only ordered the same men to pick Gibbs back up, which they did quickly.

"What was that for?" Gibbs asked again, Saleem only seemed to be focused on him right now and he wanted to keep it like that.

"Three years ago NCIS had a case which you and your team investigated." Saleem seethed. "During that case you shot and killed a man named Sahir Ulman." Nobody in the room even needed him to explain further they all new what Saleem Ulman was about to say.

"He was my only brother."

To Be Continued.

Please review this chapter, even if you didn't like it. I love to get reviews, especially if they have advice on how I could write this or other stories better.


	4. The Circle Completed!

Chapter Four

"He was my only brother." They all remembered the case well, Sahir had been a terrorist, and he was going to try to blow up the navy yard when Gibbs and the team intercepted him. He had shot at them so Gibbs shot back.

"He was the only family I had and you killed him." So now they were being held there for revenge. This man wanted to avenge his brother's death. It all made sense now, Gibbs thought.

"Agent DiNozzo," Saleem said turning to face Tony, "I know now that you were right when you said there was a reason to kill just one person." He paused for a second and looked back at Gibbs. "Agent DiNozzo has worked for you the longest, am I correct?" He didn't even wait for and answer, "And you have come to care about him almost like family, no?"

Gibbs knew where he was going with this and his heart clenched in silent fear. "Your wrong, he means nothing to me." Gibbs said with a glare. He hoped Tony understood what was going on and that he had to say this, the hurt still shown through Tony's green eyes as he listened to his boss.

"All of the members of your team are like your family, right Agent Gibbs." Saleem asked motioning to McGee and Ziva too. Gibbs just stared at Saleem but said nothing; it wouldn't do any good anyway.

"Then you will lose your family too, Agent Gibbs. That should be more effective then letting my revenge out on you. Its only fair that the circle be completed."

"Your wasting your time," Tony said, "He doesn't care about us that way and there is nothing you could do to him that would satisfy your revenge. You should just let us go." It was his last attempt at saving his friends and family even though he knew it wouldn't work.

"I have become tired of your excessive talking when you should just be quiet, Agent DiNozzo." As he said this he reached down to the ground and picked up the knife he had dropped when McGee had knocked him down and went over to Tony. "You shall be the first to die." He said and plunged the knife into Tony's shoulder. Tony didn't want to let this guy have the satisfaction of seeing the pain he was inflicting but he couldn't help the groan that escaped him as Saleem twisted the knife that was still in his shoulder.

"Hey, stop!" He heard Gibbs yell, "I'm the one who killed your brother, he did nothing."

Saleem pulled the knife out of Tony's shoulder in one swift movement, which caused Tony to groan again. "You're right, he did do nothing. I want you to know how it feels to lose your family, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs instantly thought back to the day Shannon and Kelly died. He did know what it felt like to lose your family and he didn't want to have to go through that again. He knew if he told Saleem any of this it would only fuel his satisfaction in causing him even more pain, so he didn't say a word.

"Let's proceed." He said with a sadistic smile. He went back over to Tony and grabbed his wounded shoulder, causing Tony to hiss in pain. "You will pay for what Gibbs did to my brother, Agent DiNozzo." Saleem whispered in Tony's ear before he let go of his shoulder and punched him hard in the face. He punched him several times, each time Saleem's fist contacted Tony's face his head was violently thrown back. He remained quiet the entire time though, still refusing to give Saleem the satisfaction of having tangible proof that he was causing the agent any pain. He also knew that his teammates and friends, not to mention his boss was watching, and this was hurting them just as much as it was hurting him.

Saleem looked at him with disappointment, this was moving to slow. He didn't seem to be feeling any pain at all. He grabbed Tony's shoulder again and violently shoved it forward. Tony's hands were still tied to the chair so as soon as there was no more leeway for the shoulder to move within the limitations of his tied hands there was a sickening crack sound. Gibbs tired to stay stoic but visibly flinched after hearing that sound. He could hear Ziva gasp behind him and when he turned slightly to see behind him, both Ziva and McGee had visibly paled even further.

Tony's eyes were tightly closed after the immense pain in his shoulder but he remained silent. With no warning, Saleem shoved his shoulder back against the chair with enough force to knock the chair over. When Tony fell back he hit his head on the ground with a horrible crack. "Opps." Saleem said sarcastically as he lifted Tony so he was sitting back in the chair. He was unconscious and had blood running down his back from the head wound so he didn't appear to be waking soon.

Gibbs was fuming. He couldn't believe how badly Tony had just been hurt in only a few minutes. If this was how it was going to go for the rest of their stay, there was no way Tony was going to make it out of this one, and what about Ziva and McGee apparently they were next. He didn't even know how badly Tony had hit his head but from the sound his head made when it hit the floor, it was pretty bad.

Gibbs watched as Saleem nodded to one of his men who were still standing guard at the door. He couldn't see what they did in return. Only a few minutes later, a bucket of water was brought in and Saleem took it. He walked back over to Tony and through the whole thing at Tony. Tony came awake with a gasp, Gibbs noticed him looking around with unfocused, glassy eyes. "Glad to see you awake, DiNozzo. It would be no fun if you weren't." Tony looked up at Saleem with a look of confusion. "Now, that was only the warm up. Now the real fun can begin." Saleem said, and Gibbs could only hope they could make it out of this alive.

To Be Continued.

Thanks for reading, please review! Next update should be either later tonight or tomorrow.


	5. I'll Be Back!

Chapter Five

After Saleem made his unsolicited threat he left his prisoners alone to ponder his words. He was so angry with Gibbs all he wanted was for him to feel what he was feeling and Agent DiNozzo was perfect. Even though Gibbs was trying to hide it, Saleem could still tell that every punch or injury he was inflicting on the agent was causing Gibbs a lot of pain. Sometimes, physical pain on someone you want revenge on wasn't enough. Sometimes, you had to go for their heart.

~NCIS~

"Well, that…was…fun." Tony said through clenched teeth after Saleem had left closing the door behind him. The pain he was feeling was bad but he'd definitely had worse.

"Tony." Gibbs said looking at the younger agent with concern. "Are you alright?" That was an unnecessary question he realized but he still needed to ask it.

"Just peachy, boss." Tony said with a forced smile that didn't make it to his eyes. All Gibbs could see in them was obstinacy and pain. "Are you alright, Probie?" Tony asked looking at the very pale McGee.

"No, I'm not alright, I just watched as he beat the crap out of you after he shot _and _stabbed you, and apparently that was only the warm-up! How could I be all right? How can you be?" McGee asked shocked, it was obvious he was deeply troubled by what was happening.

"McGee!" Gibbs barked.

"Sorry boss, but how can you just sit there?" This display of emotion from McGee was unusual but understandable. They were practically brothers, the way they acted towards each other, really could have been. Gibbs wondered how Ziva was taking this, the last time she and Tony had seen each other, she pretty much hated him for killing her boyfriend Michael. It had been in self-defense; if Tony hadn't killed Michael, he would have been killed. It was justified, as Tony had put it. Ziva knew this but still hadn't been able to work with him, that was why they were in this situation. Tony cared for her and now he was getting tortured and she didn't even seem to notice.

Gibbs was asking himself the same question, how could he just sit there? He knew that McGee didn't understand; if he showed any kind of emotion, Saleem would only hurt Tony further, and then after Tony was killed he would hurt and probably kill McGee and Ziva too. How am I going to get them out of this, Gibbs was wondering as he heard Saleem coming again.

"Are you ready for the fun to start, Agent Gibbs?" Saleem chuckled. "I know I am." Gibbs saw Tony tense at Saleem's words but his eyes showed no fear. Gibbs had never been more proud of the younger man but they were all dreading what was going to happen next.

"Untie him." Saleem commanded to the men, they did so and unceremoniously dropped him to the ground in front of the chair he had been occupying for the past several hours since they had been originally captured.

As soon as Tony's body hit the ground the three men started viciously kicking his chest and stomach. Tony tried to remain stoic for his boss but finally let out a pain filled groan, as a steel-toed boot contacted with his ribs repeatedly while others hit him everywhere else it seemed. One painfully hard kick to the ribs was followed by a sickening snap as several of his ribs either cracked or broke. Gibbs had been watching Tony's face throughout the entire beating and at that point all of the color left Tony's face and his eyes started to roll in the back of his; he couldn't take it anymore.

"Stop!" He yelled and they actually did stop. Saleem looked at Gibbs with a sadistic grin. Shit, Gibbs thought, I'm sorry Tony.

"Why would I want to stop when I am having so much fun?"

"I'm going to love killing you." Gibbs said with as venom in his voice as he could.

"Yes, well, not before I kill them first." Saleem said as he brandished the same knife he had used moments before to stab Tony. He nodded to the two men and they lifted Tony who was barely conscious so he was standing.

"I'm sorry, Agent DiNozzo, but it will be all worth it in the end. For me at least."

"Go…to…hell." Tony said between gasping breaths and with that Saleem thrust the knife into Tony's stomach. The pain was so intense that he couldn't even release the scream that was threatening to escape; all he could do was gasp as the cold metal entered his body.

"No!" He heard three people yell simultaneously as Saleem pulled the knife out with ease. They let Tony drop to the floor and he landed with a grunt.

"As soon as he's dead, we start over with Special Agent McGee." They didn't even bother to tie Tony back to the chair before they left Tony to die, and Gibbs, McGee, and Ziva to watch helplessly.

"I will be back." Saleem said and with that he was gone.

To Be Continued.

Wow, sorry about the wait. Writers block was really enjoying my company, however this was completely one sided as I am sure it is with everyone. I mean seriously who like not being able to think of a way for their story to continue? Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon; I don't want to leave you with this cliffhanger for long. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and it would be greatly appreciated if you would review it!


	6. Rule 9 and the Plan!

Chapter Six

It took several seconds before Tony was able to focus on anything but the pain radiating from the middle of his body. Actually, the pain that was radiating from everywhere, but mostly his abdomen, he thought to himself between gasping breaths.

He could vaguely hear somebody calling his name but he couldn't respond yet, he was still trying to hold himself together. All he could do was hold his hand over the profusely bleeding hole in his stomach until the pain became bearable.

As it did, words started trickling down into the depths of his consciousness. The pain slowly ebbing away until he could manage to do something other then hold back the scream of pain that threatened to escape.

"Tony, can you hear me?" He finally made out.

"B-Boss?" He asked, confusion and pain evident in his voice.

"Yeah, it's me DiNozzo. You're going to be okay." Tony nodded slowly as his glassy green eyes finally focused on Gibbs. He made a quick sweep with his eyes and noticed a distraught face.

"Hey, Zee-vah." He said as he glanced over at his "lost" partner.

"Tony." She said softly. "Are you alright?" It was all she could say, the pain he was suffering was because of her and she knew it. If they had just left her alone, they would have been fine.

"F-Fine." He said, his breath hitching slightly at the strain it caused him to speak.

"I do not believe you." She said sadly, obviously he was not fine, he had just been shot, beaten, and stabbed, he was definitely not fine.

He didn't seem to hear her and they all looked at him in confusion as he attempted to undo his belt. The effort was clearly costing him but he seemed adamant in completing his task. Gibbs was the first person to realize what he was doing.

"Rule nine, never go anywhere without a knife." Gibbs said out loud, Ziva and McGee immediately understood.

It took him longer then it normally would have but he finally released the knife hidden in his belt buckle. He took a deep breath before he was able to drag himself over to where Gibbs was tied up. Once he made it, he immediately began cutting the ropes that bound his hands. Once Gibbs was free from the uncomfortable chair, he kneeled down next to Tony, immediately putting one hand over the stomach wound and one on his shoulder.

Weren't we just here? Gibbs thought. He found it slightly ironic that these wounds were almost in the exact same place as the bullet wounds he had received a year and a half before.

"I'll be right back, Tony." Gibbs said quietly. Tony nodded slowly and handed Gibbs his knife, which Gibbs took. He went over to McGee and Ziva and carefully cut the ropes that tied their hands.

"Tony's hurt pretty bad so we have to get out of here fast." He said in a low voice so only they could hear him. "When Saleem comes back, wait for my signal and then follow my lead." They nodded and keep their hands behind their backs so it would look like they were still tied until the opportune moment.

Gibbs nodded too and went back over to the fading agent.

"Tony? You with me?" He asked, his tone soft. Tony's eyes were closed and he was breathing in short, tight gasps.

"I-I'm with ya, b-boss." He said in barely a whisper of his usual voice.

"Just hold on, we're going to get you out of this."

Tony opened his eyes a crack revealing the pain he was in and nodded. His eyes suddenly widened and he whispered, "H-he's coming back, b-boss." Gibbs didn't hear anything but when he listened closer he heard footsteps approaching the door. He quickly sat back up and made it look like his hands were still tied to the chair by quickly wrapping the ropes loosely around his wrists and the arms of the chair. Just as he was done the doors slammed open, revealing the man they had all come to abhor. He took one look at the still agent on the floor and started laughing.

"I guess it's time to start my little game with you, Agent McGee."

To Be Continued.

Sorry for such a long wait and then such a short chapter, I want this story to last longer. I do plan on having more whump ahead for the rest of the team in the following chapters as well as some more for Tony, I'm afraid. He just doesn't get a break when I am writing, does he? Anyway, next chapter will be up soon, and it should be quite exciting, they are finally going to escape. (Or are they?) Please, please, please review!


	7. Kill Shots!

Chapter Seven

"I guess it's time to start my little game with you, Agent McGee."

As he said this we walked over to McGee; this was their only chance they had to move fast.

"Now!" Gibbs shouted as he stood up and the lifted the chair, swinging it around so it hit Saleem directly in the back. He fell over on top of Ziva and McGee; McGee felt something rake across his chest and then the familiar sting of a new cut.

"He still has the knife!" McGee shouted as he and Ziva rolled of to the sides. Saleem recovered quickly and jumped to his feet.

"You will pay for this, with your lives." With that he started charging towards Gibbs, knife in hand ready to strike. Before he made three steps, he suddenly lost his balance and fell to the ground in front of Gibbs. Gibbs looked down at the ground and saw that Tony had stuck one foot out to trip him. Saleem was only momentarily shocked and recovered quickly he immediately went for Tony, again.

"You'll pay for this!" Saleem screamed as he wrapped his hands around the ailing agents throat.

"Hey!" Gibbs yelled as he tried to pull the psychopath off of his agent. His struggles remained futile as Saleem's hands held their firm grasp on Tony's throat.

~NCIS~

Pain was everywhere in Tony's body. It was unbelievable how much pain he could be feeling, everywhere at once. He knew when Saleem had reentered the room because he had been the first person to hear his heavy footsteps but hadn't really been able to follow the events that followed his entrance. He heard McGee say something about the knife and saw Saleem start towards Gibbs and he knew what he had to do. He quickly swung his foot in the path of Saleem and watched as the lunatic fell.

Almost instantly there was immense pain radiating through his neck and throat. It took him a few seconds to realize he couldn't even breathe and the pressure was only getting worse.

Finally the pressure was released.

~NCIS~

Gibbs was getting desperate; Tony was becoming limper and limper in Saleem's grasp. Tony was dying and he couldn't stop it. Then he suddenly remembered his backup. In all of the excitement, he had forgotten all about that. He hadn't been the part of the plan that was suppose to get captured so he still had his weapon, unless they searched him while he was unconscious and removed it. He checked his ankle holster and could have laughed out loud. These men were supposed to be terrorists but they hadn't even searched him; his backup weapon was still there. He pulled out the Smith and Wesson he keep with him at all times just in case of situations like these and aimed it at Saleem's head. Without hesitation he pulled the trigger. Saleem immediately let go of Tony and fell off to the side.

~NCIS~

Tony was gasping for air now; he couldn't get enough into his lungs. Black dots began to swirl around his vision and he valiantly tried to blink them away and stay conscious for his team's sake.

~NCIS~

Almost immediately after the shot was fired the doors burst open revealing the same two terrorists who had been following Saleem around the entire ordeal. They both were carrying semi-automatic weapons. Gibbs acted quickly and fired at the men. He fired twice and hit one of the men twice in the shoulder. This did little to stop them.

At some point, Ziva made her way towards the knife that Saleem dropped. As she picked it up she looked at her partner, lying on the ground, struggling just to stay alive. Her heart clenched as she watched him struggle for breath and fought the tears that threatened to fall.

Ziva picked up the knife and threw it with as much force as she could put behind it. It struck one man between the eyes and he fell to floor, dead. The second man started shooting at the Mossad Officer. All of the bullets went wide except for one. This bullet struck high on her shoulder. It forced her to the ground next to Tony.

Gibbs didn't delay and sent three bullets through the man's chest, three bullets directly to the heart. The last man was down before he even hit the ground.

"Ziva, you ok?" He turned and looked at the two injured agents on the ground, one of them kneeling over the other who wasn't moving.

"Gibbs!" Ziva called to him with panic in her eyes. Gibbs immediately kneeled down next to his unconscious Senior Field Agent. He put two figures on his neck to feel for a pulse. It was slow and thready, not at all what it should have been.

"We need to get him out of here." Gibbs said as he put his hands over Tony's stab wounds. There was so much blood pumping out of his body he was amazed Tony had stayed conscious for so long. He knew they needed to get out of there so Tony could get the medical attention he so desperately needed.

"Boss." McGee called from the door. "Nobody is out there." That was strange, Gibbs thought to himself. Shouldn't there be backup there already. There had been a lot of noise recently due to the firefight but nobody else had come to see what was happening.

"McGee, come here and help me get Tony out of here." McGee came over and he and Gibbs both picked Tony up off the floor and put one arm around each of their necks. Gibbs kept pressure on the stomach wound and McGee put his free hand over the shoulder wound.

At the sudden movement Tony came awake with a shout of pain. His eyes were clouded and unfocused but showed the pain he was feeling. They could feel the heat radiating off of him through his torn and tattered shirt and his face was flushed.

"You're all right, Tony." Gibbs said. "We've got ya."

Tony looked at Gibbs and tried to smile but was unable to. "C-course I am, B-boss." He struggled to say but it only caused him to start coughing, which sounded more like coughing up a lung. Gibbs heart nearly stopped when Tony started coughing up blood. The kicks to his ribs must have done more damage then we thought, Gibbs thought terrified of what could be bleeding inside of Tony's body.

Tony looked over at the very pale McGee. "Y-you're b-bleeding, P-Probie." He barely whispered but only started harsher coughing. His face was scrunched up in pain and his breath came in more erratic gasps after the coughing fit was over.

It was true though; all of them were in bad shape by this point. McGee who had barely been touched during the entire ordeal except for some cuts on his face from when they had been captured now had long cut on his chest from when Saleem had fallen on him with the knife. The bleeding had stopped but there was still some on his shirt. He couldn't believe Tony was worrying about him when he was obviously bleeding out in front of them and all he had was a scratch.

"I'm fine, Tony." McGee said. "Don't worry about me, we just have to get you out of here." Tony nodded before his eyes started to roll back into his head and McGee and Gibbs were forced to take almost all of Tony's weight again.

"Tony, stay with us. You have to stay awake." Gibbs yelled to the fading agent. Tony's eyes opened and he took some of his own weight back.

"S-sorry, B-boss." He whispered weakly.

"Ziva, Are we all clear?" Gibbs asked Ziva who was now standing in the doorway. She had her hand over her shoulder and some blood was leaking through her fingers but she seemed all right.

"We are clear." She said as Tony promptly lost consciousness. Neither Gibbs nor McGee were expecting the sudden dead weight. They lost their balance and carefully laid Tony on the ground. Suddenly something registered in McGee brain and he looked to Gibbs with terror in his eyes.

"Boss, he's not breathing."

To Be Continued.

How was the longer chapter? I hope it was all right. A review would be really nice! Thank you to everyone who has already reviewed or even just read this story so far. Sorry about the cliffhanger, again. The next chapter should be up soon.

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS.


	8. Time of Dying!

Chapter Eight

After Saleem had been shot, Tony had watched the scene play out in front of him with terror. He hurt everywhere, which was to be expected when you are tortured, shot, and stabbed. He could feel the life drain out of his body with every pulse of his heart; the blood that drenched his body was a testament to that. It wasn't the pain that scared him though; it was the increasing nausea and tiredness he felt that had nothing to do with his injuries.

Tony didn't know a lot about Sodium Thiopental, but he knew these could be potentially dangerous side affects of the drugs. He pushed any fear he had for himself aside when he saw Ziva fall next to him, bleeding from a newly inflicted shoulder wound.

God should it be this hard to breath, Tony thought to himself. It felt like his chest was being constricted by something. Darkness finally claimed him but before he fully succumbed to it he felt strong hands pressing down on his wounds, he needed to tell them that something wasn't right, he was having some sort of reaction to the truth serum, but he couldn't get the words out before he lost consciousness completely.

He didn't know how long it had been when he woke up again but he was still in the room with the team so it couldn't have been long. He was standing now, well, he was sort of standing. Gibbs and McGee were holding him up; his arms were draped over their shoulders while they supported most of his weight. As soon as he returned to consciousness he immediately felt the pain in his body and tried to stifle the shout of pain but was unsuccessful. He heard his boss telling him he was going to be all right but didn't believe him. He didn't need them to worry about him anymore then they already were so he tried to smile, he didn't know if he had but it didn't matter.

"C-course I am, B-boss." It didn't come out nearly as convincing as he hoped it would. As soon as he began coughing, he felt the blinding pain again. This time it came from his stomach. It felt like a white-hot poker was stabbing him in the gut every time his body was racked by the wet sounding coughs.

He looked at his Probie who was standing by his side keeping his hand over Tony's shoulder wound. He looked very pale and was shaking slightly. He looked down at his shirt and noticed the blood there.

"Y-you're b-bleeding, P-Probie." Talking was becoming too difficult and it only caused his body into more racking coughs. His body was assaulted by pain like he had never felt before and breathing was becoming a lot more difficult. He heard McGee say he was fine and they needed to get him out of there but the darkness was claiming him again. He nodded and started to give into the darkness but he heard his boss's voice cut through the fog.

"Tony, stay with us. You have to stay awake." He knew he had to, if he closed his eyes he may never open them again. He started to collect himself a little bit by taking some of his own weight back.

"S-sorry, B-boss." He whispered weakly. He heard voices continue to talk around him but he couldn't hold anymore. His injuries and the Sodium Thiopental were finally claiming him. Before he even realized what was happening, he fell to the ground unconscious.

~NCIS~

"Boss, he's not breathing." McGee said to his boss, he couldn't believe that the man he had come to consider his friend and brother was dying right there in front of him.

Gibbs knew he had to take charge of the situation. He would not let Tony die; he immediately checked the younger man's pulse. It was very slow, almost nonexistent. He began to breath for the younger man by tilting Tony's head to keep his airway open, plugging his nose and covering Tony's mouth with his own, forcing air from his own lungs into the dying Senior Field Agent.

After two breaths he looked at McGee with desperation in his eyes. McGee felt Tony's neck and nearly had a heart attack when he didn't feel anything. McGee looked back at Gibbs in shock.

"I don't feel anything." He whispered.

"Come on, Tony. Don't do this to me." He shouted as he positioned himself over Tony's chest and cautious of his injuries began chest compressions. After thirty compressions he looked to McGee.

"Now." He said and McGee gave Tony two breaths. Gibbs checked for a pulse and still found none. He resumed the chest compressions. After McGee gave two more rescue breaths, Tony gasped and started to struggle against Gibbs strong hands, which had resumed their spot over his stab wounds.

"Tony, it's ok. I've got ya." Gibbs said soothingly to the agent struggling weakly under his hands. Tony immediately calmed down to the sound of his boss's voice.

"B-boss?" Tony asked weakly.

"Just hold on, DiNozzo. We're gonna get you out of here, you just have to stay awake." Gibbs said to Tony as his eyes started to close again. Gibbs turned to McGee who was even paler if that was possible from the sight of his friend, nearly dead. McGee was looking down at Tony's pale face, which had a grayish, ashen look to it.

"Tim." Gibbs said. McGee looked up shocked that Gibbs was using his first name. Things had to be very bad if Gibbs was using his first name. "I need you to keep your hands on these wounds, he's lost far too much blood. I need to find a way out." He looked around the empty room. "Where the hell is Ziva?" Gibbs asked, he hadn't even noticed when she left. McGee looked around the room in confusion.

Just then Ziva barged into the room with several paramedics following her. The paramedics quickly pushed Gibbs and McGee away from Tony and began to check his vitals. Gibbs looked at the scene with confusion, where had the paramedics come from. They were in Africa but these people who were working quickly on his agent looked American. He was deep in thought trying to figure out what was happening when he heard one paramedic shout that Tony's heart had stopped, again.

To Be Continued.

Sorry for the wait, I have had very little time to write lately. Next chapter will have what happened with Ziva and how the paramedics got there. It will also have whether or not Tony lives or not. Next update should be up in the next couple of days. Please review because I would really like to know what you thought of this chapter or the story in general. I didn't have enough time to proofread so I apologize for any mistakes.

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or the characters.


	9. Freedom!

Chapter Nine

"Ziva, are we all clear?" Ziva looked back at Gibbs from the door. She couldn't see anyone out in the hall and when she listened she heard no voices coming their way. She kept her hand on her shoulder and didn't even feel the blood oozing through her fingers, all she could think of was Tony; he had risked his life to save her and now he might die thinking she hated him. She could never hate him; she had been mad at herself for letting herself trust yet another person who ended up deceiving her. Tony had been the one to save her so many times, even if it was from herself, and now he would die for it? She couldn't let that happen.

"We are all clear." She said noticing Tony losing the battle once again to remain conscious. He passed out so quickly she didn't even have time to warn Gibbs or McGee. She watched as they laid him back on the ground; she also saw the look of absolute horror in McGee's eyes when he said Tony was no longer breathing. This terrified Ziva; how could he be dying, it didn't seem possible. He was always the stronger one; even though she had been trained in Mossad, he had always been the better person. Ziva knew she had to get help so she quickly slipped out of the door to find it.

As she made her way down the hallway she was stunned that nobody was there. She had spent the last three months here and she knew that there were more people then just Saleem and the two gunmen. All of a sudden she heard people yelling outside and guns firing. She dropped to the ground immediately and covered her head with her bloodied hands. The gunfire only lasted a minute or two and as soon as it was over she shakily stood up and continued staggering down the hallways. Finally she made it out and into the hot African sunshine.

It took several seconds for her eyes to adjust to the outside but when she was finally able to see she saw several heavily armed Marines pointing their weapons at her. She stopped quickly, her eyes wide.

Somebody must have recognized her because they all lowered their weapons but she didn't hear, all she could think of was her partner lying in a puddle of his own blood because of her. She didn't even realize when several American paramedics approached her.

"Are you alright, Ma'am?" They asked her, taking in her battered appearance and bloody shoulder. "Where are Agent Gibbs and the rest of his team?" Finally she snapped out of the sea of guilt she had been in moments before thinking of Tony.

"Follow me." She said and quickly stumbled back into the building with the medics following closely behind her.

As they entered the room the medics pushed past the Mossad Officer as soon as they saw the battered, bloody body of Anthony DiNozzo. They immediately pushed away the two NCIS agent surrounding the gravely injured man. They silently checked his breathing, which was shallow and uneven, and his heart beat, which was erratic and unsteady. They immediately placed Celox gauze over the bleeding wounds and put pressure on them. One of the medics put his fingers to the agent's neck to check his pulse but found none.

"Lost a pulse." He shouted to his colleagues. "Get the defibrillator ready." They got the injured man's shirt open exposing his bruised and bloody chest and abdomen as the portable defibrillator was charging. They placed one of the paddles on the top of Tony's chest and the other on the side. "Clear!" The medic called out and all hands came off of Tony.

As soon as it was called out that the medics had lost Tony's pulse, Gibbs heart clenched in fear. This could not be happening; not again. He heard the whine of the defibrillator paddles charging and then heard someone yell clear. Gibbs had seen it before, Tony's body jerking under the paddles as the shock was administered but he still couldn't take it. Like he had in the ambulance a year and a half before, Gibbs flinched as the first, second, and then third shock was administer to Tony's lifeless body.

It was obvious the medics were getting ready to give up when they checked for a pulse. "I've got the pulse back." He said. Tony's body suddenly came back to life in that second as he gasped and tried to struggle against the medics.

"G-Gibbs." Tony said, his eyes wide and searching. Gibbs was immediately by Tony's side.

"I've got ya, you're going to be fine." He whispered to the wounded man he had come to think of as his son.

"H-hurts." Tony said as his breathing hitched and his face scrunched up in pain.

"I know, Tony. We're getting you out of here." Gibbs looked up at the medics and they nodded. "Just hold on." Gibbs told the younger man. One of the medics rushed out of the room and when he came back he had a portable stretcher. They carefully put Tony on it and rushed out the doors. They rushed him over to a military ambulance. There was only one and they were all injured so Gibbs, Ziva, and McGee jumped onto the back as well.

"It's too dangerous to bring him to a hospital here, we have a medical airlift ready to take you guys back to the United States. It is well equip to tend to your injuries until you get there. The only problem is, there appears to be some internal bleeding which will need surgery immediately. We will do everything we can to control it until we get to Bethesda so he can have surgery.

Also the stab wound to his abdomen will also need surgery. We will do everything we can to help him but it is going to be a long flight and it is touch and go, I just wanted to let you all know what we are in for."

The paramedic looked at each of the team in turn before finally stopping to see how Gibbs would react to the news.

Gibbs was glaring at the medic and he didn't even know why. He knew this was the safest choice but it seemed so damn risky to put Tony on a plane that would take at least three hours to get him to a hospital. He knew internal bleeding was bad and needed surgery immediately, not to mention the stab wounds he had acquires in the last half and hour. Gibbs only nodded as they sped down the bumpy dirt roads.

It had taken then less then fifteen minutes for the ambulance to get to the airlift and by then Tony had lost consciousness again. They jumped off of the ambulance as soon as it stopped and ran to the plane. As soon as they boarded the stretcher was secured and Gibbs, Ziva, and McGee sat down in the passenger seats dreading the long and dangerous flight they had ahead of them.

To Be Continued.

Hi everyone! Thank you all so much for the kind reviews you have given me. It makes it so much easier to write. I do not know if this chapter is completely realistic but I had to get them back to the United States. I did do some research for this chapter but still. Also this chapter was hard for me to write so it would be great if you could review it and tell me your thoughts on it. Thanks again!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!


	10. Going Home!

Chapter Ten

As soon as they airplane took off the paramedics sprung into action. There were nine passengers on the plane; the four injured NCIS, and five paramedics. Automatically two of the medics rushed to the stretcher Tony was on. They attached a portable heart monitor to the unresponsive agent and almost immediately the sounds of erratic beeping filled the previously quiet space.

"Pulse is weak, BP 90 over 50 and falling. Pulse ox 82 we need to intubate, Jim." The short blond haired medic called out to the taller blond haired medic, Jim.

"I'll intubate, you get a chest tube inserted. There looks to be a pneumothorax, Bill." Jim said pointing out the uneven breathing on the agents left side. Jim got the necessary equipment for a chest tube while Bill got the laryngoscope and an endotracheal tube ready for the intubation.

The paramedic named Bill positioned himself on Tony's left side. He held the scalpel with one hand and lifted Tony's arm so it was extended above his head, giving him full access to his ribs and chest. There was extensive bruising on the Tony's torso and definite signs of internal bleeding. Not to mention the stab wounds now covered in Celox gauze. There was also a bullet wound that looked to be infected but they would worry about these injuries after Tony's breathing was stabilized.

With skilled precision he cut into Tony's side, right between two of his ribs. After the incision was made he put one of his fingers into the hole to push in the tube. After the quick procedure was done, Jim titled Tony's head back so his neck was straight, he opened the agent's mouth and placed the laryngoscope down his throat, opening it enough for him to see where to place the tube. He gently guided the tube down Tony's throat until it was in far enough and took out the laryngoscope. He took out his stethoscope to make sure they had placed the tubes in the correct spots. Satisfied, he put his stethoscope back around his neck and tied a piece of tape around the tube to hold it in place. The plane they were on was meant for these kinds of emergencies so it had all of the equipment you would find in an actual emergency room. They wheeled in from the corner a portable ventilator and attached the tube in Tony's throat to the life-saving piece of machinery.

"Get four units of O neg, and start them on a rapid infuser." Jim said quickly. He started an IV while Bill got the blood from the freezer. They didn't know what any of the agent's blood types where so they decided to go with O negative, which was the universal donor of blood types. As they started the IV to replace the blood Tony had lost, they checked his stats again.

"Pulse ox 83, BP still falling 70 over 50." Bill told his partner.

"Give it a minute for the transfusion to take affect, keep an eye on the pulse ox."

"How much blood would you say he's lost?" Bill asked

"Two or three pints, maybe more. Open the IV all of the way, we need to get some more volume." Before they could do anything else the monitor attached to the severely injured agent started beeping far too slow and a small alarm was set off.

"Whoa, sudden on set hypotension." Jim said with concern. "Where are we at with volume?"

"Two bags are almost empty." Bill said. "Should I get the next two ready?"

"Yes, if his pulse gets any weaker we run the chance of cardiac arrest."

~NCIS~

Gibbs couldn't help but watch in confusion and worry as two of the paramedics began busily working on Tony. He didn't understand anything they were saying but he was relieved Tony was getting the medical attention he so desperately needed.

A young, female medic approached Gibbs.

"Hello, my name is Dr. Pam Browning." The attractive medic told the distraught lead agent. "I assure you my colleagues and I are going to take very good care of your agents." She told him with a warm smile. "Now let me take a look at you." She said with the authority of a doctor twice her age. "There is quite a bruise forming on your cheek, let's just see if there is a fracture." She gently began probing his cheek with gentle fingers. He didn't even feel anything; he was too worried about Tony to feel anything.

"Just as I suspected, there appears to be a slight fracture to your cheekbone. Nothing too serious but we'll have the doctors at the hospital take a look at you when we get to Bethesda."

"How long until we get there?" Gibbs asked as he watched the fight to keep his agent alive.

"We should get there in about eight hours, don't worry, we are taking very good care of your agent." She said sensing the worry emanating from the lead agent.

After a quick inventory of the rest of his body, including his pulse, respirations, and temperature, Gibbs was cleared of any serious, life-threatening injuries, or African illnesses, which could be spread to the United States. Gibbs was glad, now he could completely focus on his other agents, especially Tony, without being interrupted.

~NCIS~

McGee was stunned at how fast their mission had gone downhill. Nobody was supposed to get hurt but now there was Tony, on a stretcher in an airplane with life-threatening injuries including internal bleeding. McGee had never seen such pain in his friend's eyes, how close to death Tony was and there was nothing he could do about it.

A medic approached him after takeoff, having noticed the blood on his shirt. "Hello, I'm Dr. Lisa Miller, now let's get you cleaned up and checked out." McGee knew he was fine. Other then the cuts on his face and on his chest he had been relatively untouched by Saleem's anger. Tony on the other hand had not been as lucky, McGee thought solemnly.

After his chest was cleaned up to prevent infection and bandaged to ensure there would be no infection, and a few butterfly bandages were used to close some of the deeper lacerations on his face, the medic cleared him too. He sat by Gibbs in the passenger seats in complete disbelief. He had over heard one of the medics say it would be eight hours before they arrived at the hospital and he desperately hoped Tony would be able to hang on until they got there.

~NCIS~

Ziva sat in shock staring at her ailing partner. He had come because of her and because of her he was lying there, struggling to live. She had spent the last three months ready to die, she didn't want to, but she was over herself and as long as everyone else was safe, it didn't matter.

She hated herself for acting like she hated Tony, even while strapped to a chair willing to sacrifice himself for her sake, she still acted like she hated him. If he died now, before she could make things right, she would never be able to live with herself.

Ziva was so lost in thought she didn't even notice when the fifth paramedic came up to her. She was still bleeding from her shoulder wound but she didn't notice. She just wanted Tony to be all right. She did notice the sharp pain radiating from her shoulder when the paramedic pressed Celox gauze against it to staunch the blood flow. She let out a hiss of pain before she could stop it; she was pale, shaky and lightheaded from the blood loss and dehydration.

She had been given very little food or water during her stay in Somalia; sometimes she would be forced to go days with out food or water. Saleem would give her a little bit of water, just enough for her to stay alive, and then he would leave her again for several days only to repeat the process. Sometimes he would beat her after he gave her the water and food.

"Ma'am, are you all right." The paramedic asked her with concern in his eyes. She looked up at him long enough to feel embarrassed that her partner was lying on a stretcher not ten feet away, bleeding out on the same plane as her because of her, and they were worried about her. She suddenly needed to get away from there, that was difficult on a plane, though, so she decided to excuse herself to the small bathroom aboard. She stood up quickly, excusing herself, but before she could go anywhere all of the color drained out her face completely, her knees buckled as she lost balance, losing consciousness before the paramedic even caught her and lowered her to the ground.

"Lisa." He called out to the medic who had been working on special agent McGee but was now seated, having nothing left to do. She looked over and noticed the women lying on the floor and quickly made her way to her.

"We need another stretcher." He said to her as she quickly began setting another one up. The carefully placed the unconscious Mossad Officer on the stretcher and began their examination to figure out exactly what had caused Ziva to pass out in the first place.

"Pulse is steady, 110 over 80, respirations even and normal." The bleeding in Ziva's wounded shoulder had stopped but she was obviously severely dehydrated, which bleeding didn't help at all. They set up an IV into Ziva's arm with fluids to help with the dehydration. Unable to help her anymore until they got to the hospital so they could repair her shoulder, they made sure she was comfortable, nervously glanced at the man in the other stretcher who hadn't been as lucky to be stable at the moment, or any moment soon from the look of it, before sitting back down in the seats to wait.

~NCIS~

It had been almost five hours since the plane had taken off from the horn of Africa and things had finally slowed down. Tony was stable, for the moment, and nobody else was in danger of dying so there was a little less tension in the small area.

Ziva had regained consciousness almost immediately after the IV was hooked up and some fluids were in her. She was even more embarrassed now, in her attempt to get attention away from her so they could focus on Tony, she had caused more attention to be focused on her.

Nobody said a word, they all watched as the ventilator pumped air into Tony's broken body. The mechanical whir and slow beeping from the small monitor were the only sounds to be heard. It stayed that way for the rest of the trip. As soon as they were informed that they were landing in DC and there was an ambulance ready to take Tony to the hospital when they got there, they all let out a relieved breath.

As soon as the plane landed, Tony was whisked away by the paramedics. The three agents watched as the ambulance sped away at top speed towards Bethesda. Within a minute of the first ambulance arriving, a second pulled up and Ziva was loaded onto that one. Gibbs and McGee jumped onto the back before the doors closed.

By the time they made it to Bethesda, Tony had been taken into surgery. They were told it would be a long time until they knew anything so they began the long and grueling wait to see if their teammate and friend would survive.

To Be Continued.

That was a long one! Almost two thousand words! This was a tough one but I really want to get it posted so I didn't really proof read, sorry for any mistakes. Thanks to everybody who had review, alerted, or put this story on his or her favorites list, it really means a lot. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter because I never think anything I write is good so your feedback keeps me writing! Thanks again, and I will try to update soon!

Disclaimer- I own nothing.

P.S. I am not a doctor so the medical stuff may not be accurate. Also, I have no idea if planes like this actually exist. If they do then that is cool, if they don't then they should. :)

Happy (belated) Fourth of July!


	11. Waiting Game!

Chapter Eleven

Waiting rooms were always depressing places. Gibbs hated being in them. He hated not knowing and he hated the hours spent staring at the door just waiting for a doctor in bloody scrubs to come out and tell them the worst. He couldn't help but think back to all of the times when he had to wait in them because he hadn't been able to keep someone on his team safe. It always seemed to be Tony, too.

As soon as they had arrived at the hospital, Tony was whisked away for the surgery he so desperately needed, Ziva had also gone to surgery to repair her shoulder, and McGee had been sent to the Emergency Room. They had wanted Gibbs to go to the ER as well but he just couldn't go down there until he knew if Tony was all right. All it took was one of his infamous Gibbs glares to persuade the young nurse to let him stay and wait for news on DiNozzo.

He knew he should call NCIS and tell them that they were at the hospital, especially Ducky and Abby but he couldn't even talk to them right now. He still couldn't believe how fast the mission had gone downhill. He had screwed up this time, he let himself get captured and he let his team get injured. No, he couldn't talk to them yet.

~NCIS~

It had been several hours since they had arrived at Bethesda when they got the news on how Ziva was doing. It had only taken McGee half and hour to get checked out at the ER before he was aloud to go to the waiting room to wait with Gibbs. Three hours later the door to the waiting room opened and an older doctor with dark green scrubs walked in.

"Hello, you must be agent Gibbs." The doctor greeted Gibbs kindly. "My name is Dr. Richards. I am one of the surgeons who worked on Officer David." Gibbs nodded.

"The surgery went well. Her wound wasn't a serious one and the bullet only caused minimal tissue damage. The damage was repaired easily and she is in recovery now. She is also being treated for dehydration and malnutrition so we would like to keep her here over night. As soon as she wakes up from the anesthesia we will be moving her into a regular room for the night. Then she is free to leave in the morning." Gibbs thanked the doctor but his worry did not diminish. He hadn't been all that worried about Ziva, he knew she was fine, just a small shoulder wounds. They had all had them before, even she had, his real concern was for the man still in surgery.

He didn't know who had called them but soon after the news on Ziva arrived so did the well known squeaking of ridiculously tall boots running over the linoleum floor. Before they even had time to react, Gibbs was ambushed by one of Abby's signature hugs.

"How is he, tell me he's going to be ok." She said with worry lacing every word as she hugged Gibbs tightly. Gibbs hugged back and kissed the top of her head.

"Of course he will Abbs, I never gave him permission not to be." As Gibbs said it he hoped it wasn't a lie. She hadn't been there; she hadn't seen what that bastard did to Tony. He desperately hoped he wasn't telling her a lie.

Abby let go of Gibbs and hugged McGee. He let out a hiss and she quickly pulled away. Her eyes surveying him to see what had made her hug hurt him. She quickly took in his bloody shirt and bandages she could see through the slice in the shirt. She looked at Gibbs too and noticed the painful looking bruise on his face.

"What happened to you guys?" She asked with tears brimming her green eyes. She had heard that they were all at the hospital and it wasn't looking to good for Tony but she hadn't really thought, she just got to the hospital as fast as she could. She didn't even think about what had happened to them on their mission.

"Saleem figured out our plan. Some of his men captured me. I didn't even see them coming, I was so focused on my scope." He didn't want to continue. It had been so horrible watching them hurt Tony like they had. Abby saw in Gibbs eyes that he didn't want to talk about it anymore and let it go. She would get the full story eventually; she just had to be patient.

They hadn't even noticed when Ducky walked into the room. He had heard very few details but from what he was told, things did not look good for Tony. Only time would tell it their friend would make it. He could see the distraught, haunted look in both Gibbs' and McGee's eyes. He knew that this mission had taken an unexpected turn for the worst.

"We found Ziva, alive." Gibbs said. Abby gasped and Ducky waited patiently for his long time friend to continue. Abby reached out subconsciously held onto McGee's hand, he looked down at her hand in his and smiled slightly.

"She was shot during our escape, she's in recovery. They say she is going to be absolutely fine. Just a little dehydrated." Nobody really knew what to think about Ziva at the moment. Tony had risked his life for her after she had made it very clear to him that she hated him and now he may actually die and for what?

Silence filled the small waiting area as they thought about everything that had happened in the last couple of months. They waited for that door to open once again, hoping that once it did they would be given good news.

Seven hours after Tony had been sent into surgery the door finally opened and another doctor, this time a young female doctor with light green scrubs, came into the waiting area. All four people noticed the blood splattered scrubs she was wearing.

"Are you all here for Agent DiNozzo?" She asked the group. She received four nervous nods. It appeared they were all too nervous to speak.

"Agent DiNozzo survived the surgery. He received several life-threatening injuries and some minor ones. We lost him once on the table but were able to bring him back with only one shock. He had a bullet wound to his left bicep. It was a through and though and did minimal damage to anything important. With a little bit of physical therapy he should have full mobility in his arm. It went untreated though, which caused an infection to take place. We have him on antibiotics to treat the infection. He received two stab wounds; one to his shoulder and one to his abdomen. The knife wound was also to his left shoulder, it appears whoever stabbed him twisted the knife." She saw both Gibbs and McGee nod. Abby gasped at the pain her friend must have suffered through and Ducky looked solemnly at the doctor to continue.

"We were able to repair the muscle damage but he will need physical therapy for that too. The knife wound to his abdomen perforated his stomach; we were able to fix the damage but he lost a lot of blood from that wound. He seemed to have been beaten badly because he had several broken ribs, one of which punctured his lung, which resulted in a pneumothorax, and one caused a small tear in his kidney, which caused some internal bleeding. This was also repaired. His shoulder was also badly dislocated, we put it back into place, and there should be no permanent damage for this either. Finally, he has a minor concussion which should go away on its own." She watched the faces of the people in the room carefully. The list of injuries she had just given was extensive.

"Agent DiNozzo is very lucky to be alive, he is definitely a fighter, but I am sure you already knew that. He is not out of the woods yet; if he makes it through the night then he has a good chance of making a full recovery. He still has a long way to go."

"Can we see him?" Gibbs asked.

"He is still in recovery, as soon as we set him up in the ICU one of you can visit him at a time."

"Thank you." Gibbs said. The doctor nodded to the group and left the room. Abby immediately started crying. Black streaks from her mascara running down her face as she rushed into Gibbs arms.

"He can't die, Gibbs. We need him." She said into his chest.

"He's not going to die, Tony is strong, he's a fighter, he's not going to die." Even as Gibbs said the words he didn't know if he was telling the truth. Tony was one of the strongest people he knew but that list of injuries was so long, he didn't know if anyone could survive what Tony had endured.

They all sat down in the uncomfortable chairs to wait for the doctor to come back so they could see their ailing friend.

To Be Continued.

Hey everybody! Thank you all so much for the reviews! I just realized in this chapter how evil I have been to Tony, but he can take it! Maybe after this story I will write one where I am nicer to him, then again maybe not! :) I know, I'm evil but what can I say? (It's not like I am the only one, you all know who you are) :) The next update should be soon. Please, please, please review!


	12. Nothing To Be Sorry About!

Chapter Twelve

Gibbs hated these chairs more then he hated waiting rooms. These were the chairs you sat in as you prayed that the person lying in that bed would survive. These were the chairs you had to watch someone you cared about fighting for their life and there was absolutely nothing you could do to help them except be there for them. That was exactly what Gibbs was going now.

Gibbs watched Tony as he lay there in a coma, breathing unnatural and the product of a machine and tube going down his throat, wires and tubes everywhere and of course the bright red bag of blood replenishing some of Tony's lost blood. That part always stood out the easiest.

How had they gotten like this, he was suppose to have killed Saleem, got all of his members out of there relatively unscathed, and they were suppose to make it back to NCIS without any problems. Everyone in the office would applaud them for their success in their dangerous mission and life would resume as normal. That was not what had happened and now he had two agents in the hospital. One who they thought was dead, but turned out to be alive, now in a hospital room after surgery to repair the bullet hole in her shoulder, and one in an ICU room, clinging to life after too many injuries for him to have a good chance at recovering. Then again, Tony had always been able to beat low odds at survival. During his time with the plague he'd only had a 15 percent chance of survival and he had lived through that, even returned to work a week early. If anyone could survive what had happened to him, it was Tony.

Gibbs sighed, there was way to many bad things that happened to Tony. He really didn't deserve any of it. He liked to live behind the face of a clown but underneath that goofy façade held someone who would step in front of a bullet for you if he needed to. It wasn't hard to figure out why he had lasted the longest out of any other agent or why he had been senior field agent for so long. Tony was one of the best people to watch your six, if only, Gibbs thought, someone could watch his the same way.

~NCIS~

"_Agent Gibbs?" A young nurse asked the group of people in the waiting area. As soon as the silver haired man with the steely blue eyes stood up she knew she had found Agent Gibbs. _

"_How is Tony?" He asked, what she had seen before in his eyes was now replaced with worry. He didn't seem like the kind of person who showed worry often, but this situation was obviously not a normal one._

"_We have him in ICU right now, one of you can see him for now." She didn't even have to ask who was going to go, this man had a papa bear quality when it came to his teammates, which she envied. Her boss probably wouldn't even notice she was in the hospital as a patient, let alone come and see her if she was. _

_She told the older man to follow her and led him to the ICU room in which Anthony DiNozzo was currently residing in. _

_She opened the door and he reluctantly stepped into the room._

~NCIS~

Gibbs hated seeing Tony so still, it was so unnatural compared to his usual normal energy. He and Abby had more energy then normal people should. Now Tony was lying in a hospital bed, unmoving.

He knew what it was like to be on a ventilator and he knew Tony knew what if was like to be on a ventilator. It was probably one of the worst things about being in a hospital. The tube felt like it was choking you, the air it forced into your body burned your lungs, you couldn't move or talk, and once it came out it left your throat incredibly dry and sore which didn't actually go away for a few days after coming off of the thing. He needed one after the explosion he was in a few years back and Tony had needed one for a short period of time when he had the plague and then again when he had saved Maddie and Gibbs from the water which resulted in him getting shot but still saving them.

They had told him the coma was merely his body's way of healing. He had sustained so many injuries his body could only handle repairing itself if it wasn't being put under too much stress. The doctors told Gibbs that he could wake up at any time, but if he wasn't waking up yet it was because his body wasn't ready to and there was nothing to worry about.

He knew this probably meant that he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon so Gibbs sat back in the chair, set on being there as soon as he did wake up.

~NCIS~

Almost as soon as he began his silent vigil, Gibbs fell asleep in the uncomfortable chair. Several hours later he woke up feeling like he was being watched. He looked around but saw nobody. He finally looked at his senior field agent only to find that his eyes were open and staring at him. Gibbs immediately rushed over to Tony.

"Tony, are you in any pain?" Gibbs asked, aware that Tony couldn't speak with the tube down his throat. He got a headshake in response.

"Good." He said with a small smile as he pushed the call button to alert the doctor that he was awake.

After the doctor checked on Tony, reassuring Gibbs that Tony was all right for the moment, and left the room, Gibbs sat down in one of the chairs by Tony's bed.

"Tony," Gibbs started, "I'm sorry." Tony, annoyed that he couldn't speak because of the ventilator, shook his head. _Nothing to be sorry for, _Tony wanted to say.

"If I had been paying more attention, Saleem's men wouldn't have been able to capture me, and I might have been able to stop him from hurting you." Tony shook his head harder and winced at the tube in his throat. He closed his eyes for a moment until the burning sensation passed when he opened his eyes they were met by two worried ones.

He knew he had to be able to talk to his boss so he brought one of his hands up to try to remove the ventilator by himself. Gibbs saw what he was trying to do and held the hand down easily.

"I'll call in the doctor again and see if they can take that thing out for ya." With that he pushed the call button again. This time Dr. Pitt came into the room.

"What can I do for you two?" the doctor asked after he came into the room and greeted the two agents.

"How long does Tony have to stay on the vent?" Gibbs asked and Tony nodded.

"Let me see." Dr. Pitt said and began checking on Tony's lungs. "We could take it out now, I don't recommend it yet but I know how much he hates them. If there are any problems I can always intubate him again. Does that sound all right?" he asked the man in the bed who nodded furiously around the tube. _Anything to get this out of my throat, _Tony thought to himself. Dr. Pitt looked to Gibbs who nodded also.

"All right Tony, you know the drill. When I say three you cough for me ok?" He was met with another nod.

"Ok, One. Two. Three." As soon as he said three Tony coughed and Dr. Pitt pulled out the tube. Tony continued to cough for a few seconds but it finally subsided. Dr. Pitt checked all of Tony's vitals, especially his lungs before he was finally satisfied and left the room.

Tony was completely spent after the exertion of extubation and could barely keep his eyes open.

"Nothing to be sorry about, boss." Tony said before finally succumbing to the sleep he so desperately needed.

To Be Continued.

Wow, this chapter was a tough one for me. Thanks to everyone who reviewed this story so far, or even just read it! I hope this chapter was all right; the next one should be up soon. Only two more chapters left. The next one will be a conversation between Tony and Ziva. Sorry if the conversation between Tony and Gibbs was too short. Please, please, please review this chapter! :)


	13. Always Had My Back!

Chapter Thirteen

Tony woke up feeling like he was being watched. He opened his eyes and found Ziva standing by his bed wearing a sling but normal clothing.

"I thought you were in the hospital, too?" Tony asked her, his voice still weak from the ventilator.

"They released me." She said adding, "I had to see you." Tony looked at her, the confusion he was feeling was written all over his face. Why would she want to see him if she hated him?

"I am not sure what to say." She finally said after a moments pause. "But I'm sure it has to be said." She added.

She paused for a moment before going on. "When you shot Michael, I almost killed you where you stood."

"I wasn't standing." Tony added.

"No, you weren't. You were lying on the ground, without adequate backup, completely violating protocol…"

"And double parking." Tony quickly asserted.

"Yes, I noticed. But that does not matter now. Just like it does not matter how it worked out for Michael."

"So what does?" Tony questioned.

"That you had my back." She said as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "That you have always had my back. Even when you thought I was dead, you still risked your life for me and now you are lying in a hospital bed because of me." Tony didn't know what to say. They sat in silence for several moments before Ziva continued.

"I was wrong to question your motives." She said quietly.

"Then why did you?" Tony asked.

"I trusted my brother Ari, I trusted Michael, I could not afford to trust you." Ziva said quietly.

"I thought you didn't know what to say?" Tony teased slightly.

"I guess I had a lot of time to think about things." Ziva said sadly.

"Ziva, I'm sorry." Tony said, his voice becoming a little more hoarse due to all of the talking.

"No, it is I who am sorry, Tony. Can you ever forgive me?" She asked, the tears finally falling.

"Forgive you for what?" Tony asked. Ziva looked at him with an incredulous look.

"It is my fault you are here, you could have died because of me. Why would you do such a thing for someone who you thought hated you?"

"It's like I said before, I couldn't live without ya, I guess." Ziva didn't feel like she deserved somebody to care about her like Tony did. She had been callous and hateful towards this man and he still risked his life for her. She leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. He looked at her and she whispered in his ear.

"I couldn't live without you, either, Tony."

She lay down next to him on the bed, her small form against his tall one, careful of their injuries.

She stayed with him until his eyes slipped closed and he was finally able to do something he hadn't been able to do for months; sleep restfully knowing Ziva was safe and in his arms.

To Be Continued.

I know, I know. That was short but it's almost the end. Only one more chapter left and it's going to be the epilogue. Most of the conversation Tony and Ziva had was taken directly from the episode Reunion. It got pretty TIVA heavy in this chapter so I apologize to anyone who doesn't like Tiva. Please review; reviews make me very, very happy! =)

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS. I also don't own a lot of the conversation between Tony and Ziva in this chapter. The same people who own NCIS do, not me. =(


	14. Epilogue

Epilogue

It took two weeks before Tony was declared well enough to leave the hospital, and almost a month before he was able to return to work. All he was looking at was desk duty for a while but it was better then sitting around doing nothing when he felt absolutely fine.

Ziva had been with him the whole time he was in the hospital; he couldn't believe how much better things were between them.

Ziva hadn't even been able to go to NCIS since she had been rescued. She felt guilty and didn't want to have to face everyone. She didn't even work there anyway, she didn't know if she would ever work there again.

"Come in with me." Tony offered the night before he was scheduled to return to work. It had taken a lot of convincing but Tony finally managed to get her to agree to coming in.

That morning Ziva came to pick him up at his apartment, it was the least she could do and she still didn't think he should be driving by himself. She parked the car in the garage and headed towards the building.

"Hey Tony, how are you feeling man?" Rick the security guard asked as they entered the building.

"Fine." Tony answered. Rick looked at Ziva and smiled.

"It's nice to have you back, Ziva." He said.

"Nice to be back." She said in return.

They walked by and Tony pushed the arrow button on the elevator to go up. Once the doors slid open they entered the elevator together and Tony pushed the third floor button.

They rode the elevator in silence, watching as the numbers counted up until they reached three and the elevator door pinged as it opened.

They walked out of the elevator and started towards the bullpen when they were both simultaneously tackled by Abby. They were only in Abby's embrace for a moment before the others reacted.

The sound of a room full of people clapping could be heard as everyone on the third floor stood and applauded the amazing rescue of one Ziva David and the return of Tony. Even the director was standing on the stairs clapping.

Ziva looked down towards the ground, tearing were yet again threatening to fall. She had been untrusting to everyone before she left, especially the people she cared about the most. She would never distrust them again, they were her family and that was all she needed to know.

The End.

It's over! I hope the ending was all right. Please review! I can't wait to start the next story, so keep your eyes peeled! =)

Also, I wanted to thank everyone who stuck with this story. Especially the people, who reviewed, favorited, alerted, and all of those other fan fiction verbs! You guys are awesome!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS, some very lucky people do but I do not.


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